It has been found that in round balers having a pivoting bale discharge gate, crop buildup above the axle and behind the pickup frame may prevent the bale discharge gate from closing when baling in a various crops and crop conditions (alfalfa, grass, cornstalks, for example). This problem tends to occur intermittently in some conditions, but when the problem does occur the frequency may be high (every 2–3 bales, for example). The baler operator must then leave the operator station and manually clean out the crop buildup before baling can continue, resulting in reduced efficiency and productivity, as well as inconvenience to the operator.
Accordingly, there is a clear need in the art for a means to prevent crop build-up from interfering with gate closure after bale discharge, that does not require intervention by the baler operator.